WASHINGTON, Jan 4 (Reuters) – The US Treasury Department on Monday granted a new license allowing certain transactions with Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó despite US sanctions on the country, reaffirming Washington’s support for the politician as a legitimate leader of Venezuela.
The license, which replaces a similar previous license, also allows for certain transactions with the Venezuelan National Assembly and some others, effectively recognizing the one-year extension of the opposition-controlled National Assembly’s term.
The term was extended after mainstream opposition boycotted a Dec. 6 general election that President Nicolas Maduro’s ruling Socialists won comfortably, and which the opposition and most Western democracies believe was neither free nor fair.
Venezuela’s Supreme Court ruled last week that the opposition-controlled National Assembly’s move to extend its term for another year was invalid, paving the way for the body’s takeover by Maduro allies this month.
Washington recognized Venezuelan politician Guaido as the OPEC nation’s rightful leader in January 2019, and ramped up sanctions and diplomatic pressure following Maduro’s 2018 re-election, which was widely described as fraudulent.
Maduro remains in power, backed by Venezuela’s military, as well as Russia, China and Cuba.
The recognition of Guaido as interim president by the United States and others stems from his position as Speaker of the National Assembly. Guaido invoked Venezuela’s constitution to hold a competing interim presidency in 2019, saying Maduro would usurp the presidency after rigging his re-election in 2018.
The Ministry of Finance stated in the license that transactions with the Venezuelan Constituent National Assembly convened by Maduro or the National Assembly meeting on Tuesday were not approved.
Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis and Susan Heavey in Washington and Luc Cohen in Caracas
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